Difference between revisions of "King's Quest"

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[[Image:King's Quest - DOS (Later) - USA.jpg|thumb|256x256px|Later North American box art.]]
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[[Image:King's Quest - DOS (Later) - USA.jpg|thumb|256x256px|The re-release box art.]]
  
'''''King's Quest''''', later titled '''''King's Quest I: Quest For the Crown''''' is an adventure game by [[Sierra Online]], originally released in 1984 for the PCjr, but later ported to several other platforms. The game is a pioneer of the PC adventure genre that remained hugely popular for another decade in the industry and spawned many rivals, most of whom made better games than Sierra.
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'''''King's Quest''''' is a [[graphic adventure]] game developed and published by [[Sierra On-Line]], for the [[PCjr]] on 1984-05-10, and later ported to several other platforms. It is the first in the [[King's Quest (universe)|''King's Quest'' series]] and the first game to utilize Sierra's [[Adventure Game Interpreter]] engine. It is a pioneer of the PC graphical adventure genre, a genre that remained hugely popular for another decade in the industry and spawned many rivals, most of whom made better games than Sierra. After a [[King's Quest II: Romancing the Throne|sequel]] was released, Sierra re-released King's Quest in 1987 with the title ''King's Quest I: Quest For the Crown'' with new box art and a slightly improved program.
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I first played ''King's Quest'' after it was re-released in the ''[[King's Quest: Collection Series]]'' in 1997. Having already played ''King's Quest VI'', I remember being very unimpressed by the low-quality graphics and sound. Over the span of a couple years, I worked at the game long enough to beat it.
  
 
==Status==
 
==Status==
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* '''Overall:''' 3/10
 
* '''Overall:''' 3/10
 
* '''Best Version:''' Remake using the SCI engine.
 
* '''Best Version:''' Remake using the SCI engine.
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{{Spoilers}}
  
 
===Good===
 
===Good===
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* The wrap-around world layout is dumb. It basically means the world is a tiny torus floating in space.
 
* The wrap-around world layout is dumb. It basically means the world is a tiny torus floating in space.
 
* Although it was acceptable for the day, the graphics are not very professionally drawn. There is even the occasional uncolored pixel that was overlooked.
 
* Although it was acceptable for the day, the graphics are not very professionally drawn. There is even the occasional uncolored pixel that was overlooked.
 +
* For some reason, the programmers added a way to drop items. Dropped items cannot be picked back up again, and therefore causes you to get stuck. They wisely removed the ability in later versions of the game.
 +
* There are a couple of ways to put the game in an [[unwinnable state]], most of which are caused by the gnome, but I've always just reloaded if he every robbed me.
  
 
===Ugly===
 
===Ugly===
 
* Too many of the puzzles are really just walking hazards. That's not adventure, that's keyboard dexterity. And, since you're given unlimited saves, the only purpose they serve is to slow the game down.
 
* Too many of the puzzles are really just walking hazards. That's not adventure, that's keyboard dexterity. And, since you're given unlimited saves, the only purpose they serve is to slow the game down.
  
==Box Art==
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==Media==
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===Box Art===
 
<gallery>
 
<gallery>
King's Quest - PCJR - USA.jpg|This is the original box art for the PCjr release. The castle in the background is pretty cool, but the knight appears to be seriously misshapen.
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King's Quest - PCJR - USA.jpg|This is the original box art for the PCjr release. The castle in the background is pretty cool, but the knight appears to be seriously misshapen. This also paints the game as an action fighter, which it clearly is not.
King's Quest - A2 - USA.jpg|This box art was used in the first couple ports to the Apple II, Atari ST, and IBM PC. It's an interesting picture of treasure, but doesn't really convey anything about the game.
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King's Quest - A2 - USA.jpg|This box art was used in the first couple ports to the Apple II, Atari ST, and IBM PC. It's an interesting picture of the game's three treasure, but doesn't really convey anything else about the game.
 
King's Quest - DOS - USA.jpg|This art was used on the later releases for the Atari ST, and IBM PC, and for the Amiga. It showcases the three treasures, though Graham looks a bit weird.
 
King's Quest - DOS - USA.jpg|This art was used on the later releases for the Atari ST, and IBM PC, and for the Amiga. It showcases the three treasures, though Graham looks a bit weird.
 
King's Quest - DOS (Later) - USA.jpg|This was the final box art used for home computers. It replaces the ugly yellow-brown background with a more pleasing tan color.
 
King's Quest - DOS (Later) - USA.jpg|This was the final box art used for home computers. It replaces the ugly yellow-brown background with a more pleasing tan color.
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</gallery>
 
</gallery>
  
==Documentation==
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===Documentation===
 
<gallery>
 
<gallery>
King's Quest - PCJR - Manual.pdf|The original PCjr manual.
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King's Quest - PCJR - Manual.pdf|PCjr manual.
King's Quest - Manual (Later).pdf|The manual used in later publications.
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King's Quest - Manual (Later).pdf|Revision manual.
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King's Quest - DOS - Europe - Manual.pdf|European manual.
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King's Quest - DOS - Hint Book.pdf|Hint book.
 
</gallery>
 
</gallery>
  
==Maps==
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===Maps===
 
<gallery>
 
<gallery>
 
King's Quest - DOS - Map - Daventry.png|Map of Daventry.
 
King's Quest - DOS - Map - Daventry.png|Map of Daventry.
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King's Quest - SMS - Map.png|The map of the Master System version.
 
King's Quest - SMS - Map.png|The map of the Master System version.
 
</gallery>
 
</gallery>
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===Screenshots===
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<gallery>
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King's Quest - PCJR - Screenshot - Castle Right.png|The starting location.
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</gallery>
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===Videos===
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* [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r0TLhR51uGY youtube.com/watch?v=r0TLhR51uGY] - Longplay, DOS.
  
 
==Links==
 
==Links==
* [http://www.mobygames.com/game/kings-quest mobygames.com/game/kings-quest] - MobyGames.
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{{Link|MobyGames|http://www.mobygames.com/game/kings-quest}}
* [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/King%27s_Quest_I en.wikipedia.org/wiki/King%27s_Quest_I] - Wikipedia.
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{{Link|Wikipedia|https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/King%27s_Quest_I}}
* [http://gamerwalkthroughs.com/kings-quest-1/ gamerwalkthroughs.com/kings-quest-1/] - Gamer Walk-throughs.
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{{Link|StrategyWiki|https://strategywiki.org/wiki/King%27s_Quest:_Quest_for_the_Crown}}
* [https://www.gamefaqs.com/pc/565065-kings-quest-quest-for-the-crown gamefaqs.com/pc/565065-kings-quest-quest-for-the-crown] - GameFAQs.
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{{Link|GameFAQs|https://www.gamefaqs.com/pc/565065-kings-quest-quest-for-the-crown}}
* [http://www.vgmpf.com/Wiki/index.php/King%27s_Quest:_Quest_For_the_Crown_(DOS) vgmpf.com/Wiki/index.php/King%27s_Quest:_Quest_For_the_Crown_(DOS)] - Soundtrack.
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{{Link|VGMPF|2=http://www.vgmpf.com/Wiki/index.php/King%27s_Quest:_Quest_For_the_Crown_(DOS)}}
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{{Link|TCRF|https://tcrf.net/King%27s_Quest:_Quest_for_the_Crown}}
  
  
 
[[Category: Games]]
 
[[Category: Games]]
 
[[Category: Video Games]]
 
[[Category: Video Games]]
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[[Category: Video Game Prime Order - Adventure, Strategy, Action]]
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[[Category: Game Mechanic - Unwinnable State]]
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[[Category: Amiga Games]]
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[[Category: Apple II Games]]
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[[Category: Apple IIgs Games]]
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[[Category: Atari ST Games]]
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[[Category: DOS Games]]
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[[Category: Macintosh Classic Games]]
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[[Category: Master System Games]]
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[[Category: PC Booter Games]]
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[[Category: PCjr Games]]
 
[[Category: Adventure]]
 
[[Category: Adventure]]
 
[[Category: Games I've Beaten]]
 
[[Category: Games I've Beaten]]
[[Category: PCjr Graphics]]
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[[Category: Fantasy]]
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[[Category: Monochrome Graphics]]
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[[Category: 2-bit Color Graphics]]
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[[Category: 4-bit Color Graphics]]

Revision as of 10:25, 28 October 2019

King's Quest is a graphic adventure game developed and published by Sierra On-Line, for the PCjr on 1984-05-10, and later ported to several other platforms. It is the first in the King's Quest series and the first game to utilize Sierra's Adventure Game Interpreter engine. It is a pioneer of the PC graphical adventure genre, a genre that remained hugely popular for another decade in the industry and spawned many rivals, most of whom made better games than Sierra. After a sequel was released, Sierra re-released King's Quest in 1987 with the title King's Quest I: Quest For the Crown with new box art and a slightly improved program.

I first played King's Quest after it was re-released in the King's Quest: Collection Series in 1997. Having already played King's Quest VI, I remember being very unimpressed by the low-quality graphics and sound. Over the span of a couple years, I worked at the game long enough to beat it.

Status

I own a digital release of the game through Steam. I have beaten it, though not with a full score.

Review

  • Overall: 3/10
  • Best Version: Remake using the SCI engine.

— This section contains spoilers! —

Good

  • The game has a fair amount of charm, incorporating various fairy tales.
  • Though very dated now, the game is a pioneer in the PC-based adventure game. Hundreds of games have used this game's concept of a single screen as a room and walking off-screen into the next room.
  • The AGI engine was well-made and served to make about another dozen Sierra games.

Bad

  • There are far too many ways to die!
  • By using fairy tales as a basis for several of the puzzles, the answers were often very obvious.
  • Some of the monsters aren't really puzzles they just get in the way, like the wolf, troll, and thieving gnome.
  • The jump, duck, and swim buttons are annoying, and I'm glad they got rid of them in the sequels.
  • The wrap-around world layout is dumb. It basically means the world is a tiny torus floating in space.
  • Although it was acceptable for the day, the graphics are not very professionally drawn. There is even the occasional uncolored pixel that was overlooked.
  • For some reason, the programmers added a way to drop items. Dropped items cannot be picked back up again, and therefore causes you to get stuck. They wisely removed the ability in later versions of the game.
  • There are a couple of ways to put the game in an unwinnable state, most of which are caused by the gnome, but I've always just reloaded if he every robbed me.

Ugly

  • Too many of the puzzles are really just walking hazards. That's not adventure, that's keyboard dexterity. And, since you're given unlimited saves, the only purpose they serve is to slow the game down.

Media

Box Art

Documentation

Maps

Screenshots

Videos

Links

Link-MobyGames.png  Link-Wikipedia.png  Link-StrategyWiki.png  Link-GameFAQs.png  Link-VGMPF.png  Link-TCRF.png